Trunk lid locking device for automobiles



April 16, 1951 C. W. RCSENBARGER TRUNK LID LOCKING DEVICE FORAUTOMOBILES Filed Nov. 28'. 1947 Inventor Cliffokd W. RosenbargerAttorneys Patented Apr. 10, 1951 attain TRUNK LID LOCKING DEVICE FORAUTOMOBILES Cliflord W. Rosenbarger, Indianapolis, had, assignor offifteen per cent to Gus Edwin Rosenbarger, seven and one-half per centto Roy Clifiord Rosenbarger, and seven and one-half per cent to CeciliaM. Roscnbargcr, Indianap olis, Ind.

Application November 28, 1947, Serial No; 7 88,555

This invention relates'to'new and useful improvements and structuralrefinements in trunk lid locking devices for automobiles and likevehicles, and the principal object of the invention is to provide adevice of the character herein described which is remotely controlled,as it were, bein operated by means of a control. button on theinstrument panel of the vehicle on which it is used.

A further object of the invention is to provide a trunk lid lockingdevice which eliminates the use of the conventional trunk handle andlock. and by the use of which the trunk will be automatically lockedupon closing of the lid, until such time as it is unlocked by themanipulation of the aforementioned instrument panel button. It will beapparent that by virtue of this arrangement, unlocking of the trunk lidwill be impos- 1 Claim. (01. 292 -171) locking device for the lid H of atrunk lZ'of any suitable automobile-13.; I z r The lid-ii is usually ofa" double wall con-' struction, including the inner and outer walls 14,15, respectively, and. the device It embodies a latch unit designatedgenerally by the reference character it which includes a projectablebolt IT and a coacting catch I8. 7

The bolt l'i assumes the formofa plunger which is slidably disposed in ahousin or sleeve I9 secured as at 25 to the inner trunk lid wall I4, oneend portion'of the bolt terminating in a V rounded, pointed extremity ortongue 21 which sible unless access is had to the interior'of thevehicle.

a trunk lid locking device wherein the lid is automatically urged into apartially open position as soon as the locking mechanism is unlocked orreleased.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a trunk lid lockingdevice which is simple in construction, which will readily lend itselfto use on vehicles of various types and makes, and Which will not easilybecome damaged.

With the above more important objects in view, and such other objects asmay become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts asillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View of a vehicle showing theinvention associated therewith;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the subject shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View, taken substantially in the plane ofthe line 3-3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially in the plane ofthe line 4,-4 in Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a locking means for the pullbutton.

Like characters of reference are used to designate like parts in thespecification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention isdesignated generally by the reference character [0, consisting of a 20Another object of the invention is to provide is projectably retractablewith respect to the housing l9 and is engageable with the aforementionedcatch H8.

The catch it simply assumes the form of a suitable opening provided inan inturned flange of the trunk skirt 22, as will be clearly apparent.

If desired, the opening of the catch l8 may be reinforced, so to speak,by means of a'suitable plate or washer 23, as is best shown in Figure 3.

The aforementioned housing 59 is provided with a tubular socket 24adapted-to receive one end portion of the casing 25 of a flexible Bowdencable 26. The casin 25 is secured in the socket it by means of asuitable setscrew 21 with which the socket is provided, and the inner,slidable cable element 28 of the Bowden unit 26 extends into a recess 29with which the bolt I! is formed. A collar 30 is secured at the end ofthe cable member 28 and a compression spring Si is interposed betweenthis collar and the inner end 32 of the recess 29, as will be clearlyapparent from Figure 3.

The Bowden cable 26 is secured by means of suitable clips 33 to theframework of the vehicle l3, and after emerging from the trunk [2, the;

cable 26 is taken under the floor board 34 of the vehicle and to theinstrument panel 35 of the same, at which point itis provided with asuitable actuating pull button 35,

It will be seen from the foregoing that when the button 36 is pulled inthe direction of the arrow 37, thebolt I? will be pulled upwardly in thedirection of the arrow 38 (after the resiliency of the spring 3! hasbeen overcome), and as a result the tongue'2l will be withdrawn from thecatch I8.

In this manner, the trunk will be unlocked, and to facilitate theopening of the trunk lid H, a pair of ejector units 39 are provided,each of these consisting of a pr-oj ectable pin fill pressed by acompression spring 4! which, in turn, is housed in a sleeve 62 mountedor attached to the inturned flange of the trunk skirt 22. The springs 4|normally urge the pins 40 upwardly in contact with the arcuate portion43 of the inner trunk lid wall 14, so that upon releasing of the latchunit IS, the lid H will be urged into a partially opened position, inthe direction of the arrow 44. x

The lid ll may then be opened in the usual manner, and after the lid isclosed, the pins 40 will, of course, be depressed and the tongue 2| willbe brought in engagement with the catch l8.

As will be clearly apparent, thepriniary purpose of the spring 3| is toreturn the pull button 36 to its normal, in-drawn position after thetrunk lid is closed, so that the button is in readi ness for the nextunlocking operation. Needless to say, a suitable spring 28 may beprovided on the cable 28 in the housing '19 for urging the bolt I! inlocking engagement withthe catch 18, as is common practice in the art.

If desired, locking means may be associated with theaforementioned'button 36, this being accomplished by slidablypositioning the button in a lock cylinder 45 mounted on the panel 35,and equipping the button with a suitable key 45. By virtue of thisarrangement, opening of the trunk lid by unauthorized persons will beprevented, even though such perso-ns have gained access to the interiorof the vehicle.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will beclearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure, and accordingly, furtherdescription thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a remotely controlled latching device, the combination of anelongated housing, a bolt slidable in said housing and projectableoutwardly therefrom to a locking position, resilient means forprojecting said bolt, one end of said housing being formed with asocket, a flexible control cable including a slidable inner member and astationary casing secured in said socket, said bolt being formed with alongitudinally extending and open sided recess having inner and outerends, the innermember of said cable extending in said housing and in therecess of said bolt, a collar secured to said cable member in saidrecess, and a compression spring provided on said cable member betweenthe inner end of said recess and said collar, whereby said cable memberis urged in the direction of the locking position of said bolt.

CLIFFORD W. ROSENBARGER.

, REFERENCES men The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 1,82% 352 IsaacsSept. 22, 1931 2,035,895 'Kelly Mar. 31, 1936 2,047,401 Whitted July 14,1936 2,084,045 Olsen June 15, 1937 2,200,346 Sepull May 14, 1940

